US 5,960,404 A · Mechanism for heterogeneous, peer-to-peer, and disconnected workflow operation

Abstract

A mechanism for heterogeneous, peer-to-peer, and disconnected workflow execution across a network infrastructure. Performer Agent entities provide a homogeneous view of humans, applications, and heterogeneous workflow systems and components that act as Performers on the network by executing Tasks. Source Agent entities provide a homogeneous view of heterogeneous service requesters such as workflow scripts executing on different workflow systems, which generate Activities that need to execute on Performers as Tasks. Task Request and Task Response messages are used to standardize the communication between Source Agents and Performer Agents, along with other messages for controlling and queuing Tasks. Workflow systems interact with each other as peers using this mechanism by sending workflow execution requests, workflow script templates, and workflow execution environments to each other. Disconnected operation is handled by ensuring the continuous availability of Source Agents and Performer Agents on the network and providing a mechanism for Sources to disconnect from Source Agents and Performers to disconnect from Performer Agents.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A computer system for workflow operation with heterogeneous components, comprising:

a. sources, representing heterogeneous service requesters, capable of generating service requests;
b. activities, representing units of work generated within said sources;
c. performers, representing heterogeneous service providers, capable of performing said service requests and generating service responses;
d. tasks, representing units of work executing within said performers in response to incoming service requests, such that each task is uniquely associated with an activity within a source;
e. source agents that act as proxies of said sources;
f. performer agents that act as proxies of said performers;
g. task request and task response messages, used to transmit service requests and service responses between said source agents and performer agents;
h. a continuously available network to which said source agents and said performer agents are always connected.

5 more elements

A computer system for peer-to-peer workflow operation between workflow systems, comprising:

a. sources, representing instances of executing workflows that represent processes such as data and control flow graphs, sets of rules, or other custom programs;
b. activities, representing units of work generated within said sources;
c. performers, representing instances of workflow systems;
d. tasks, representing units of work executing within said performers in response to service requests, such that each task is uniquely associated with an activity within a source;
e. source agents that act as proxies of said sources;
f. performer agents that act as proxies of said performers;
g. task request and task response messages, used to transmit service requests and service responses between said source agents and performer agents;
h. a continuously available network to which said source agents and said performer agents are always connected.

5 more elements

A computer system for workflow operation with disconnected or occasionally connected components, comprising:

a. sources, representing heterogeneous service requestors, capable of generating service requests;
b. activities, representing units of work generated within said sources;
c. performers, representing heterogeneous service providers, capable of performing said service requests and generating service responses;
d. tasks, representing units of work executing within said performers in response to service requests, such that each task is uniquely associated with an activity within a source;
e. source agents that act as proxies of said sources;
f. performer agents that act as proxies of said performers;
g. task request and task response messages, used to transmit service requests and service responses between said source agents and performer agents;
h. a continuously available network to which said source agents and said performer agents are always connected;
i. an occasionally available source-side network between said source and said source agent;
j. an occasionally available performer-side network between said performer and said performer agent.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mechanism for heterogeneous, peer-to-peer, and disconnected workflow operation

Life of this patent

Mechanism for heterogeneous, peer-to-peer, and disconnected workflow operation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48